In its June report, APTA calculates Oahu commuters would save $11,773 by commuting through public transportation versus driving and absorbing all of its associated costs such as gas, insurance, car maintenance, parking, depreciation, etc.

Of the top-20 U.S. cities with the highest public transit ridership, Honolulu ranks 7th in terms of the savings commuters would realize by making the switch, just behind Chicago ($12,135) and ahead of Los Angeles ($11,627). The national average annual savings of $10,160 marks the highest level in the Transit Savings Report for this year.

Adding to Honolulu's high cost of vehicle commuting is the cost of gasoline in Hawaii. According to the latest compilation by the American Automobile Association, the cost of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Hawaii $3.724, second only to California's $3.726 per gallon.

As is stands today, Honolulu is already among leading cities in the U.S. in terms of public transit ridership. The convenience, reliability, and accessibility of the Honolulu Rail Transit Project will add to Honolulu's transit capacity, making the money savings noted in the APTA report even more attainable for Oahu commuters.